Florida Republican congressman Rep. Allen West has torn a page from Sarah Palin’s book and issued a proclamation to the world via his Facebook page.

West cited the 13 percent unemployment rate among black Americans and wrote, “The failed economic policies of President Obama are destroying the black community and lessening the chances for economic freedom while promoting economic dependence.”

Referencing the fact that he was recently un-invited by the NAACP to speak at an event, West said, “Perhaps this is what the NAACP was afraid to hear me address.”

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NNACP) was actually quite clear about its reasons for rescinding an invitation to West to speak at the Martin County, Florida NAACP’s Tuesday Freedom Banquet earlier this week.

Gore was referring to a recent assertion by West that there are currently “about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party who are members of the Communist Party. It’s called the Progressive Caucus.”

West has taken a novel approach to addressing critics of the remark, saying to conservative blog The Daily Caller that a “stupid” reporter took his remarks out of context but then days later assuring CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien that he meant the statement exactly as he made it. However, when the congressman was pressed by O’Brien to name specific members of the progressive bloc who are Communists, West declined.

About the Author

David Ferguson is an editor at Raw Story. He was previously writer and radio producer in Athens, Georgia, hosting two shows for Georgia Public Broadcasting and blogging at Firedoglake.com and elsewhere. He is currently working on a book.